Hogwarts Madness
by slytherpuff-girlz
Summary: Set in the 5th year - the Death Eaters have found out about Snape's spying, and now it's a race against time for Hermione and Draco to save the world from Voldemort's destruction! MWHA! Please R/R, terms and conditions apply!
1. Freddie

Part 1 - Freddie 

"Oh Ron," I groaned, "You are an idiot!"

"It wasn't my fault," Ron said, wincing at the pain in his leg.

"You ran into the Womping Willow and it wasn't your fault?" Harry laughed. Harry, Ron and I were heading towards the hospital wing with Ron leaning on Harry and me. Ron's leg was bandaged with my scarf but beneath that his leg was bleeding quite badly.

"Madam Pomphrey?" I called into the empty hospital wing. She came out of her office almost immediately.

"Mr Weasley," She said, "What have you done?"

"The-" He began

"He tripped," Harry interrupted him. Ron looked puzzled for a moment before realising; we weren't supposed to be near the Womping Willow. Madam Pomphrey sighed.

"Honestly" She muttered, "Come on, let's have a look at your leg" She helped him onto one of the uncomfortable hospital beds. She unwrapped my scarf and looked at the wound. She conjured a bandage and put it onto the wound. Ron winced.

"Sorry," She said, "Does that hurt?" Ron just nodded but from the look on his face I could see that it was really painful. She walked over to a cupboard and took out two bottles of potions and poured some of each into two cups, which had appeared on her desk.

"Drink this," She told Ron, "It will help the ease the pain." I almost laughed as he gulped it down in one gulp and then made a face at the taste.

"That tastes horrible," He said.

"Yes," She replied, "but it will help ease the pain. Now let's check that there's nothing in wound" She unwrapped the bandage again, waved her wand over the wound and muttered a spell that I'd never heard. Green sparks appeared at the end of her wand.

"Good," She said, "You haven't got anything caught in the wound" She was just beginning to rewrap the bandage when Professor McGonagall walked in.

"Um, Madam Pomphrey," She said, "Could I have a word?" Madam Pomphrey walked over to her. As they were whispering I caught a few words of their conversation.

"…Deatheater's meeting…bad state…take a look…"

"…What happened?…"

"…Cuts…crucio…wounds…know…"

"I'll…moment…Ron Weasley…leg…_says_…tripped" Professor McGonagall walked back out and I pretended that I hadn't heard anything of that. Madam Pomphrey put the cup of the second potion on the table near Ron's bed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you for a moment but can you take this in about three minutes. Ok?" Ron nodded. "Ok, and when you've drunk it you may feel a slight pain but it shouldn't last long and whatever you do, don't take the bandage off. Ok?" Ron nodded again. As Madam Pomphrey walked out of the room Harry looked at me and mouthed 'what was that about?' 

I shrugged.

As soon as I had left the hospital wing I quickened my pace. I had picked up a bag of emergency medical supplies and hoped that I wouldn't need anything else. I was just walking around a corner when I walked into a boy, Mr Longbottom. I knew that it was him because he's in and out of the hospital wing like there's no tomorrow.

_"Sorry," I apologised and helped him pick up his things before carrying along the corridor. Soon I arrived outside the door of Albus's office. Minerva had told me that Severus had been hurt while at a death eater's meeting and I'd seen him after a meeting before but nothing prepared me for what I saw as I opened the door…_


	2. Kat

Part 2 – Kat

****

I was aching from head to toe. I could hear the voices around me, but they seemed distant. I could taste blood from the wounds on my face. I heard the door of Albus's office open, and a third voice entered the conversation. 

_I had managed to apperate from Lucius Malfoy's house to just outside the Hogwarts gates. My head was spinning – the Death Eaters had found out I was a spy for Albus, and I know they were planning on killing me. I had managed to disapperate just before the Avada Kadavra curse was cast. Minerva found me stumbling back to the castle, and had helped me to Albus' office. The second Minerva let go of my arm, I fell to the ground, unable to hold myself up any longer. _

Albus and Minerva had got me into a chair, and I heard Minerva leave. Albus tried to talk to me, but he sounded distant, and I seemed to have lost the ability to talk. Minerva came back a few minutes later, and then this new person.

It took me a while to work out who it was. The voices were getting more distant, and the world was beginning to spin. I sunk back into the chair, and closed my eyes. Albus immediately shook me. 'Severus, please try and stay with us.' He said. His voice was kind but firm. 

The next few minutes were spent with Poppy (Pomfrey, the other person in the room) examining me, and cleaning the blood from my face and arms. I could no longer work out what anyone was saying, and everything was spinning and blurry. The spinning became faster, and everything went black… 

When I woke up I found myself back in my quarters, in my bed. I was still in my now torn and tattered black robes, but I felt more alert than I had done. 

I tried to sit up, but a hand pushed me back. Albus was in my room, sitting by my bed. 'Don't try and move, you need to rest.' 

'They… they know Albus! They know about me! They want to kill me!' 

'Don't worry about that at the moment, Severus.' I was told. 'It's the Easter holidays next week, and we'll deal with Lucius Malfoy and co then. All that matters at the moment is for you to get better.' 

I sunk back into my bed, and I sunk back into a dream-riddled sleep. 

As usual, Potter, Weasley and Granger had taken up the back row of the Potions classroom. I sauntered in with Crabbe and Goyle on either side of me, and took my usual place at the front. I turned towards Potter to say something clever and witty to him, when the door burst open. The class stood up, expecting to greet Professor Snape like usual. Instead, we found ourselves facing McGonagall. 

'Sit down.' She said, waving a hand absent-mindedly. This we did. 'Now, Professor Snape has been… taken ill, and is not in a fit state to be teaching at the moment.' 

My mind wandered back to Sunday evening. I had been walking back from the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle, when we saw Professor McGonagall entering the school, holding tightly on to a stranger's arm. Technically, I can't be sure it was a stranger, but I couldn't tell who it was. They were wearing a black cloak with a large cloak that drooped over their face, making them look like a dementor. The cloak was badly ripped, and the person looked in a bad way. Perhaps that was Professor Snape? 

The lesson was very boring, as McGonagall can't teach potions. She's a waste of space if you ask me. We just sat there, taking notes from old, dusty textbooks. 

At the end of the lesson, McGonagall called Granger up to the front. She began talking to the mudblood in a hushed voice, but I could still hear her.

 'Dumbledore wants to see you, it's very urgent…'


	3. Freddie

Part 3 – Freddie 

"Dumbledore wants to see you, it's very urgent…" McGonagall said to me at the end of the potions lesson.

"Professor Dumbledore?" I asked, racking my brain for any reason that I could be in trouble. I came up with hundreds, "Why?"

"It's better that he explains that, come on" I followed her out of the dungeon. Harry and Ron were waiting outside.

"Mr Potter? Mr Weasley? Do you have a habit of waiting outside the dungeons?"

"No Professor McGonagall," Harry replied, "We were waiting for Hermione"

"Well I suggest that you go to your next lesson before you are late" McGonagall said, offering them no explanation as to where I was going. I saw a slightly confused look pass over Harry's face. We had Transfiguration next. 

McGonagall led me through parts of Hogwarts that I had never seen. Well, it's almost impossible to ever explore it all.

"Professor," I began.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Is Professor Snape going to be alright?"

"Of course," She said pausing, "He has a bad case of meninflutis, nothing life threatening" Soon we arrived at a stone gargoyle.

"Sherbet Fizzwogs" She said and the gargoyle came to life and moved to one side. The wall behind him split into two and I gasped. Out of the corner of my eye I saw McGonagall smile slightly at my amazement. Surely that was a good sign. It meant I wasn't in trouble. Or did it, I hoped it didn't. We climbed the stairs that were behind the wall. There were probably several hundred of them. By the time we reached the top I was so dizzy that I had to lean on the wall slightly. McGonagall knocked on the door, which I suddenly realised must be Dumbledore's office. There was a short silence during which she smiled reassuringly.

"Oh, um" I heard him mutter, "Come in" McGonagall opened the door and walked through it. I followed, still slightly dizzy from the stairs. He indicated to me to sit down but McGonagall made no attempt to. She stood by the side of the desk.

"The first thing that I would like to reassure you," Dumbledore said, "is that you are not in trouble." That's a relief, I thought, "This may seem like a rather odd question," He continued, "but do you know much about the muggle study of quantum physics." 

"I…" I paused trying to think if I did know anything about it, "I think that I know a little bit about it."

"What about Quantum Chemistry?" He asked. I nodded, I had read that in a book and had understood that more than the quantum physics. I still had no idea where he was going with this conversation.

"Quantum Potions?" So that was where he was heading.

"Very little," I replied, "I read a little bit about it. Isn't it the study of potions and how atoms and molecules and the repetitions of their patterns can be used to change the magic…or something like that?"

Dumbledore hesitated before replying, "I believe so, or, as you said, something like that"

"Why, Professor?"

"Why do the repetitions of their patterns change the magic?"

"No, why did you ask?"

"Ah, now, I'll tell you, just promise me one thing."

"Ok?"

"What I am about to tell you is Top Secret, you mustn't tell anyone, not even Harry or Ron. Ok?" How very odd, I thought.

"Ok" I replied.

"I, we need your help. One of our spies has been discovered, so, we need to find a way of forcing the death eaters to forget what they know."

"But there are charms…" I said.

"Indeed but Voldemort can break them. There is no way that we could use the normal potions either, because large amounts of an extremely strong truth potion could break those. However Quantum potions could offer a way." I nodded slightly, understanding what he was saying.

"By changing the repetitions of the molecules it probably would be possible to prevent it being broken," I agreed, "but what do you want me to do?"

"I was hoping that you could do some research. You would have access to _all_ areas of the library and the muggle studies library."

"I didn't know there was a muggle studies library," I said.

"Yes," McGonagall replied, speaking for the first time, "it contains muggle books on subjects such as quantum theory,"

"Why doesn't Professor Snape do this?" I asked. There could only be two reasons. One, they didn't trust him, two, his 'meninflutis' was worse than they were letting on.

"He's very ill," McGonagall said, "His meninflutis is very bad" I nodded.

"Ok. I'll have a go" I said, "I can't promise anything."

"Thank you" Dumbledore said, "If you could tell Professor McGonagall when you find something."

"You mean if I find something" I replied.

"I have great confidence in you." He said. Good, I thought, because I don't. "But I will understand," He continued, "If you cannot do this. This is a task that most people would have great difficulty with." I smiled weakly, that did not fill me with confidence.

"You'd better return to your classmates now," Dumbledore said, "The lesson's almost over and they'll wonder where you are" I looked a clock on Dumbledore's desk in amazement. It didn't seem like it had already been a lesson.

"Come on," McGonagall said, "I'll take you down." So we climbed down the hundreds of stairs and past the gargoyle. When we got to McGonagall's office she said, "You know where the common room is from here don't you?"

"Yes Professor" 

"Good Luck, you'll be fine"

"Thanks" I muttered and walked off in the direction of the common room. I had only gone a few metres down the corridor when Harry and Ron came round the corner.

"Hermione," Harry said, "Where were you?"

"I was talking to McGonagall" I replied.

"This has been a really weird morning" Ron said, "We had McGonagall for potions and now we've had Trelawney for Transfiguration"

"Really?" I asked, praying that they wouldn't ask what I was talking to McGonagall about.

"What were you talking to McGonagall about?" Harry asked.

"Um…It's a long story," I lied, racking my brain for anything that they'd believe. Suddenly Malfoy appeared with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Who'd have thought it?" Malfoy asked, sarcastically, "Miss Goody-two-shoes in trouble"

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Well why else would you have spent the entire Transfiguration talking to Dumbledore…"


	4. Kat

Part 4 – Kat

****

'Actually, I was talking to him about our OWLs next year.' She replied. 

'Why would you need to talk to Dumbledore about that? You just can't admit that you're in trouble.' I replied. That definitely sounded more likely. She had probably been creeping around the school at nighttime again… those three always seemed to be doing that. 

'I WASN'T IN TROUBLE!' Hermione shouted as McGonagall turned round the corner. Oh great, I thought, she always takes Hermione's side in everything. 

'What's going on here then?' She asked. I had a sudden urge to tell her it was none of her business, but I didn't want to have to go to Dumbledore myself. 

'Malfoy doesn't believe that Hermione went to talk to Dumbledore about her OWLs next year.' Potter replied. Why did he always suck up to the teachers like that? 

'Doesn't he?' McGonagall said, turning on me. 'Well let me tell you, Mr. Malfoy, that Miss Granger was talking to Dumbledore about her OWLs, she is telling the complete truth. I wouldn't be so quick to question her judgement next time.' 

Surprise, surprise, McGonagall stuck up for the mudblood. I walked off with Crabbe and Goyle, not giving her the pleasure of an apology. 

We went down to the dungeons, Crabbe and Goyle lagging behind slightly, and laughing stupidly about nothing in particular. I ignored them and carried on towards our common room. I stopped at the bare wall that concealed the entrance to the common room, and was about to speak the password when I saw Dumbledore appear out of a passageway by a stone gargoyle further down the corridor. The wall closed behind him, and he began to head towards us. He looked anxious and worried. 

I pretended I hadn't noticed him, and spoke the password: "Veritaserum". The wall moved to reveal an archway that I walked through, Crabbe and Goyle behind me.

It was empty apart from a few first years, talking excitedly in a corner. I went up to my dormitory to get my books for Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology, which we had from next lesson until lunch.

I didn't want Albus to know, he had enough to worry about as it is, but I can't keep it from him: 

_He Who Must Not Be Named is rising, and fast. The mark on my arm is burning more than it has done since the last time he was "in power". He's calling her servants back to him, and he's calling me among them. _

If I did go, I would go as a spy, of course, but Lucius, and several others know that I am a spy, and it wouldn't be safe to go. He Who Must Not Be Named could already know, and would kill me the second I appeared. 

But if I don't appear, he will hunt me down and kill me. I cannot win – he is already beginning to haunt me. I cannot deny that He Who Must Not Be Named is a very powerful wizard, and he can make perfectly sane people go mad. He can get in your head, control your dreams, and this is what he's doing to me. 

_I need rest, that's what Albus and Poppy keep telling me, but if I go to sleep I am faced with He Who Must Not Be Named threatening me. He is using the most powerful emotion known to man – fear. He's tearing me apart…_

_I had to tell Albus how serious the situation was, and he promised me he'd inform Miss Granger. I never thought it would come to this, but if Miss Granger is my only hope. If she can't find out more about Quantum Potions, I will be killed, or will go insane with fear…  _


	5. Freddie

Part 5 – Freddie 

That evening when Harry and Ron went to dinner I went straight to the library. When I had told them that I wasn't hungry Ron had groaned. 'Not S.P.E.W. again,' he had said, 'I thought that you had given up on that'

'I have' I had said, 'bye-bye' and walked off to the library. They obviously weren't that worried about me that they would put off dinner for much longer. So there I was, searching for Quantum Potions. I had been looking for almost an hour when Madam Pince walked over to me.

"What are you looking for?" She asked.

"Oh, something to do with Potions," I replied vaguely before inspiration struck me _(A/N Rather like the king's sword struck Harry)_, "Madam Pince, would it be at all possible for me to look in the restricted section?"

Madam Pince shook her head, "Not without a note from a teacher you can't I'm afraid. Why? What are you looking for?"

"Quantum Potions, I was just a bit curious, I read about it in our Potions textbook and I was wondering exactly what it was."

"Well, I believe Madam Pomfrey may have a book on it, if you're interested that it?"

"Thank you," I replied, "I'll ask her" So I ran down to the Hospital Wing, narrowly avoiding McGonagall as I turned a corner. Soon I arrived in the Hospital Wing. I opened the door and saw Madam Pomfrey standing with her back to me looking at shelves of bottles.

"Good evening Miss Granger," She said without turning round, "The book is on the table" I walked over to her desk and indeed the book was on the desk.

_"How did you-" She asked cutting off mid sentence._

_"Who else would be coming here at this time?" I asked. Her silence told me that she saw my point_

_"But how did you know that I wanted this book?" She really didn't have a clue about who the spies were in Hogwarts._

_"Ah," I said mysteriously, "Instinct." I heard her pick up the book and flick through the pages._

_"This is such a cool book," Miss Granger said._

_"I'm glad you like it," I replied, turning round for the first time, "Shouldn't you be getting back to your dormitory?" I asked._

_"Yes," She said, "Would you mind if I took the book and had a look at it tomorrow morning?"_

_"You may take the book but only if you go to breakfast tomorrow morning and don't miss your meal" It wouldn't do to have her ill as well as Severus, would it?_

_"Ok" She agreed. I watched her head towards the door._

_"Which dormitory are you in?" I asked her._

_"The second one on the right" She replied, surprised._

_"Are you in the bed nearest the door on the left?" _

_"Yes"_

_"There's a hidey hole. If you tap your wand on the brick immediately to the left of the bedpost and then on the one three left and two up and a hole will appear in the wall. You could hide the book in there."_

As Madam Pomfrey suggested I hid the book in the hidey hole. It was only about half a metre by a quarter of a metre but it was the perfect place to hide any research that I did on Quantum Potions. Little did I realise how important that book would be. Next morning I ate my breakfast quickly before going back up to the dormitory to read the book. Luckily the other girls in my dormitory were taking ages over their food. The only problem was that the previous night I hadn't been able to sleep so this morning I was tired and I couldn't understand what everything meant. Suddenly I realised that I was late for our potions lesson. I sprinted down to the potions dungeon and walked in.

"Sorry I'm late Professor," I mumbled. McGonagall didn't pursue it, knowing exactly why I was late. Thankfully Harry had saved my usual place on the back row. Malfoy was in the middle row for a change.

"As I was saying…" She began but trailed off, "Miss Granger, are you alright?" To tell the truth, I didn't feel alright at all. I felt dizzy and clammy. I could see the classroom but everything was out of focus.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked. I felt myself fall to the cold floor.


	6. Kat

Part 6 – Kat

****

I watched with curiosity as McGonagall went over to Granger, and checked her pulse and breathing. 

'What's happened?' Potter asked. 

'She's unconscious.' McGonagall replied. I thought that was a pretty stupid thing to say – wasn't that obvious? 'I don't know why, though.' 

She turned to me. 'Mr. Malfoy…' She began. What have I done now? 'Please may you go and fetch Madame Pomfrey.' 

I got up out of my seat and left the dungeon classroom without answering her. Stupid mudblood would have to get all the attention as usual, wouldn't she? I hope Professor Snape's back soon, McGonagall's bad enough in Transfiguration, never mind in Potions as well. She has no idea what she's doing, that's obvious. All we do is take notes, what good is that? We won't learn anything unless we actually have a go at making the potions. Learning about them isn't any good if that's all we do. 

I reached the hospital wing, and opened the door. There were one or two beds that were occupied, with curtains drawn around them, but no sign of Madame Pomfrey. She wasn't at her desk, and there was no reply when I called her name. There was a note on her desk, however. It read: 

I will be out of the hospital wing for the morning. If urgent, go to the staff room.

In my opinion, the situation wasn't urgent – Granger was just trying to get attention, but the teachers wouldn't see it like that. If it were one of us Slytherins then McGonagall wouldn't turn a hair _(A/N: Is that the saying?) _but if it's Miss Granger, teacher's pet, then we have to declare a state of emergency!

I'll tell my father about this! _(A/N: I just wanted to say that!) _The teachers are getting soft, and the hospital wing is being left unattended. I continued musing as I made my way up to the staff room. I knocked on the door, and a few seconds later Dumbledore appeared at the door. 

'Um… Professor Dumbledore…' I began, uncertain of what to say. I wasn't expecting Dumbledore to answer the staff room door. 'Um… Hermione Granger collapsed in Potions… I was sent to get Madame Pomfrey from the hospital wing but she wasn't there. She left a note saying to come here.' 

Dumbledore looked strangely uncomfortable. 'Wait a second.' He told me, and disappeared inside the staff room. 

The staff room chairs seemed hard and uncomfortable compared to the comfort of my bed, but Albus was insistent that Poppy had another look at me, but she needed to be somewhere where she could be found if necessary. Albus had been listening to everything she told me when there was a knock at the staff room door. He went off to see who was there, and I could hear the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy talking to him. 

_Albus came back a minute later, telling Poppy that she was needed down in the dungeons; that Miss Granger had collapsed. He looked pale and worried, and I know he had good reason to. Miss Granger was our only help – it something happened to her, then… well I don't even want to think about what will happen. _

_He Who Must Not Be Named is still haunting me. I don't have the heart to worry Albus even more, so I am keeping this all to myself. I'm scared, more scared than I've ever been in my whole life. He's making me paranoid. _

_I know he wants me dead, and I know that he'll do it in a way I least suspect. I'm scared to eat in case the food's poisoned, or drink in case the drink's poisoned. Most people will probably think I'm being stupid, but most people aren't at the top of He Who Must Not Be Named's "To Kill" list. _

_My cuts and bruises are healing, but I'm not physically recovering. I'm still weak and shaky, and I know that that worries Albus and Poppy. I know it's because I'm not eating, and I know that that's a bad thing, but I can't bring myself to do so. As I've thought before, He Who Must Not Be Named's driving me insane; he's making me kill myself…  _


	7. Freddie

Part 7 – Freddie 

I left the staff room quickly. If Granger was ill then we had a big problem. Soon I arrived in the dungeons. The dungeons had always unnerved me. They were so dark, so dim, such a big contrast to the light, bright hospital wing. Minerva was kneeling over Granger checking her pulse.

_"Well?" I asked._

_"Check for yourself" she said. I checked her pulse, it was fine. I checked her breathing, it was fine. There was no obstruction in her throat and her neck seemed fine. How odd._

_"I'll take her up to the hospital wing" I assured Minerva. As I levitated Granger and took her out of the dungeons I heard Minerva attempting to call order back to the class. I laid her on one of the beds. "Hmmmm," I murmured, "Very irregular" I vaguely heard the door open and I could feel Albus' eyes on me._

_"Regular pulse, regular breathing, no obstruction in the throat or stomach and nothing wrong in her neck…"_

_"What do you think is wrong?" Albus asked._

_"I don't know," I replied simply, "it could be exhaustion…"_

_"Or?"_

_"Well, I suppose it could be poison but…"_

_"But what?"_

_"But there's only one poison which reacts as violently as this, as quickly as this and in the same way as this…"_

_"And?"_

_"And if she'd had that she'd be dead"_

_"Which poison?"_

_"Morana. It reacts with the food in the victim's stomach to create unfightable (_A/N Yes, I know that's not a word but I couldn't think of any other words) _amounts of poison."_

_"Can you give her an antidote?"_

_"Well yes," I replied, "but I'm not sure what good it'll do"_

_"Try it, if she dies, well, we're in big trouble" So I gave her a weak antidote._

_"Poppy," Albus said, "Can you go and check on Severus?"_

_"Of course," I replied, "I'll go now"_

I could hear voices, only vague ones but voices none the less. I tried to move to give some sign that I could hear but I couldn't. I was trying with all my might to move even a finger but I couldn't. I could hear McGonagall and Dumbledore talking in hushed voices.

"Ok, just say that it is poison, who would have given it to her? Only five people know about her, you, me, Severus, Miss Granger and Poppy. I have complete confidence in all of you." That was Dumbledore's voice.

"Well Granger wouldn't have poisoned herself, Severus is too ill, I haven't done it and nor have you. That just leaves Poppy. I don't want to think it's her but…"

"Yes," Dumbledore said, "I see what you mean…She does have a history but…We'll have to be careful. Track her movements over the last few days, find out the usual things, ask the usual people-" Suddenly he cut off as I heard footsteps.

"Well?" I heard him ask Pomfrey.

"I think that you should come and see. He's got worse. Much worse"


	8. Kat

Part 8 – Kat

_I felt worse than when I had first been attacked by the Death Eaters. Again I was aching from head to toe, and again the world was spinning. But this time I felt horribly sick as well, as well as hot and sweaty. Poppy had come back up, and given me some kind of medicine, promising it would make me relax and lose some of the fear inside me. I drank it, and it tasted absolutely foul. I didn't begin to feel better like she's said, I felt worse, much worse. I told her, and she went off to get Albus. They appeared a minute later, along with Minerva. I closed my eyes and allowed Dumbledore to feel my forehead. _

_'He's got a high temperature.' I heard Albus say. I opened my eyes, to see that the room seemed very out of focus. The voices again grew faint, and I fell back into my chair, darkness surrounding me. _

I was walking past the staff room to my Charms lesson, accompanied, as usual, by Crabbe and Goyle. Just before we reached the staff room door, it was flung open, and Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey appeared, Dumbledore using his wand to levitate another person in mid-air. I fell back against the wall, pulling Crabbe and Goyle with me, so that I could watch without being noticed. 

The person being levitated I recognised as Professor Snape by the black hair and robes. I wasn't sure whether he was dead or just unconscious – he looked even paler and thinner than usual. The teachers obviously hadn't been joking when they had said that he was very ill. 

I followed the procession of teachers slowly and at a distance so that they wouldn't notice me. I left Crabbe and Goyle at the Charms corridor, and continued down the staircases behind the teachers. 

I followed them down into the dungeons and past the Slytherin common room. I watched as Dumbledore touched the stone gargoyle near the common room, and the wall opened in the same place that I had seen a few days ago. 

Deciding I could follow them no further, and that I would be able to find out no more, I turned to go back to Flitwick's class. 

'Mr. Malfoy!'

I cursed under my breath; I had been seen. Trying to look calm, I turned back to the gargoyle. The wall had now closed, and Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape had disappeared. McGonagall, however, was still standing there. I was surprised by the look on her face. It wasn't strict and angry. It was more a cross between a look of curiosity and a look of worry. 

'Yes Professor?' 

'What are you doing down here?' 

'I… I…' I decided that in this case the truth was probably the best course of action. 'I wanted to know what was wrong with Professor Snape, Professor.' 

McGonagall looked me up and down, as if she was inspecting me. She now had a look of pity on her face. She made me think that perhaps he _had _died. 'He hasn't… died, has he?' I voiced my fears.

'No, no, he's not dead, but he is gravely ill. There is a chance he may die.' 

I surprised myself when I felt the tears in my eyes. Why was I getting so upset? He was a teacher, nothing more, nothing less? Alright, so he was a role model to me, my housemaster, my favourite teacher. I looked up to him, I wanted to be like him…

McGonagall had obviously read my thoughts. She came towards me and put an arm around my shoulders. 'He means a lot to you, doesn't he?' She asked, kindly. 

'I respect him…' I muttered.

McGonagall seemed to be thinking something over, as she was quiet for quite a while. Then she spoke: 'You may be of use… Will you help us save him, Draco?' I was surprised she'd used my first name, and even more surprised she was asking for my help. What could I do that the rest of them couldn't? 

'Follow me.' She said. She put her hand on the stone gargoyle and said, "s_erpent_". The wall again moved apart, to reveal a dark passageway, lit with candles attached with brackets to the walls. She led me down this passage, and we eventually reached a doorway, which she opened and led me through. 

I seemed to be in a hallway of a small flat. I was in a room with two doors leading off it. This room seemed to be like a small library, with many shelves crammed with old, big books. The room was also immaculately neat and tidy. McGonagall led me through the door on the left hand side of the room, and we entered a small lounge area, with three squashy armchairs and a fireplace. More books were placed neatly on tables. I was told to sit down in one of the chairs, which I did. I was beginning to wonder what on earth was going on. 

'Now, Draco…' McGonagall began. 'As you saw, Miss Granger has been taken ill, and we think that there's a reason why. She was helping Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore and myself finding out about Quantum Potions. Does that mean anything to you?' I shook my head, and she went on to explain all about it, and why they needed to know more. 'Will you help us, take Miss Granger's place while she is ill, and help her when she has recovered?' 

Before I knew what I was doing, I had agreed.

****

****


	9. Freddie

The darkness began to clear, and I could faintly hear noises around me. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see clearly enough to work out where I was. I was lying down in a bed, I could tell that much, and I guessed I'd been taken back to my quarters in the dungeons. I closed my eyes again, trying to go to back to sleep so I could block out the immense pain I felt, all over my body. I felt sick, weak, hot and achy. I tried to move, to make myself more comfortable, but I couldn't. I was too weak to even move a finger. I couldn't even open my eyes again – that was how weak I was. 

_I could hear voices coming closer, and the sound of a door opening. _

_'Albus.' A woman's voice said. I think it was Minerva, but I couldn't be sure – everything still sounded very distant, and I was too weak to make any sign that I was awake._

_'Yes Minerva?' That was definitely Albus, and the other person must have been Minerva. _

_'He's agreed to do it… he'll help.' She replied. _

_'Good… have you told him what's involved?' _

_'I've told him about Quantum Potions, and why we need it.' _

_'Good.' _

_'How's Severus?' _

_'Doesn't seem to be any change…' _

I was let out of Professor Snape's quarters, and went back to the Slytherin common room, and going up to my dormitory. I really couldn't be bothered to go back to lessons; my head was still reeling from all the information McGonagall had told me. 

A thought suddenly hit me _(Ouch!)_: by doing this I was going against all my father's morals and teachings. I know he wants me to join the Death Eaters when I'm older, when I leave Hogwarts. I know that's wrong, but I _do _look up to my father. If he finds out what I'm doing… I don't even want to think what he'll do to me…


	10. Kat

The darkness began to clear, and I could faintly hear noises around me. I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see clearly enough to work out where I was. I was lying down in a bed, I could tell that much, and I guessed I'd been taken back to my quarters in the dungeons. I closed my eyes again, trying to go to back to sleep so I could block out the immense pain I felt, all over my body. I felt sick, weak, hot and achy. I tried to move, to make myself more comfortable, but I couldn't. I was too weak to even move a finger. I couldn't even open my eyes again – that was how weak I was. 

_I could hear voices coming closer, and the sound of a door opening. _

_'Albus.' A woman's voice said. I think it was Minerva, but I couldn't be sure – everything still sounded very distant, and I was too weak to make any sign that I was awake._

_'Yes Minerva?' That was definitely Albus, and the other person must have been Minerva. _

_'He's agreed to do it… he'll help.' She replied. _

_'Good… have you told him what's involved?' _

_'I've told him about Quantum Potions, and why we need it.' _

_'Good.' _

_'How's Severus?' _

_'Doesn't seem to be any change…' _

I was let out of Professor Snape's quarters, and went back to the Slytherin common room, and going up to my dormitory. I really couldn't be bothered to go back to lessons; my head was still reeling from all the information McGonagall had told me. 

A thought suddenly hit me _(Ouch!)_: by doing this I was going against all my father's morals and teachings. I know he wants me to join the Death Eaters when I'm older, when I leave Hogwarts. I know that's wrong, but I _do _look up to my father. If he finds out what I'm doing… I don't even want to think what he'll do to me…


	11. Freddie

Part 11 – Freddie 

(A/N As Madam Pomfrey is now dead, I'm changing my character. I'm now going to be Professor McGonagall. Ok!!)

I was sitting in my quarters next day when a thought struck me. How on earth were Granger and Malfoy going to work together without arousing suspicion? They had never been friends and there was no way they could suddenly become friends without Potter and Ronald Weasley realising that something was up. Unless of course…hmmm…

I had been drifting in and out of consciousness now for what seemed like forever. Now I was most definitely conscious. The only problem was that I couldn't seem to move to give any indication that I was conscious. There was no one in the hospital wing. I was the only person. Then I heard footsteps coming near. I could hear voices.

"What on earth possessed McGonagall? Hermione'll be soooooo mad" That sounded like Ron

"Yeah well, there's not much we can do about it" That was Harry's voice.

"Is Madam Pomfrey in there?" Ron asked.

"Doesn't look like it" Harry said. I heard their footsteps come closer to my bed.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, "Are you ok?"

"That's a bit of a stupid question" Harry replied

"Well what else am I supposed to say?" He asked.

"Um, well…Oh, I don't know" I heard him sit down on one of the chairs, "Come on Hermione, you've _got_ to get better" I mustered up all my strength to try and open my eyes. Somehow I managed it.

"Hermione!" I heard Harry yell. I managed to smile weakly.

"What?" I heard Ron yell.

"She's awake!!"

"Where's Madam Pomfrey?"

"She went to get medical supplies," I managed to say weakly.

"How do you know?" Ron asked.

"I could, I could hear everything. So why'll I be mad?" I asked.

"Well…" Ron paused, "We can tell you later."

"No, you'll tell me now"

"Ok" Harry said, "Well, we've been set a project in potions, it can be any aspect of potions that we choose to research. The only problem is it's in pairs"

"Pairs?" I asked. That would have been the perfect time for me to research Quantum Potions, why was she putting us in pairs?

"Yeah, and well there was an odd number and as you weren't there…" Harry trailed off.

"Yes?" I prompted.

"You've been put with Malfoy"


	12. Kat

I get to work with Granger – I can't wait. Actually, I can. I can wait a very long time – of course I don't mind helping Professor Snape, but working with Granger in the process, now that's just not nice. 

Why didn't they let me do it alone, not with Granger? I mean, she's not even recovered yet – she won't be out of the hospital wing for _ages. _I could have this all dealt with by then – I don't need Miss Smarty-Pants criticising my every move. 

*** 

We were now into the Easter holidays, and most people had gone home to their families. McGonagall had told me to stay, however, so I could keep researching without my father hanging over me. I think he's slightly suspicious as to why I haven't come home like I usually do, but I think he'll completely forget about it soon. I just told him I had a lot of school work I needed to catch up on, and the atmosphere here was better than at home. Crabbe and Goyle _have _gone, so they won't trouble me either. 

I was sitting in the library one afternoon in the second week of the holidays, scanning the pages of a huge, dusty book all about the more advanced procedures for brewing potions, when I sensed someone sit down opposite me. I looked up, trying to come up with a suitable excuse as to why _I _was studying in my spare time. It was only Granger, though…


	13. Freddie

"Found anything interesting?" I whispered. We'd reached a dead end over the last few weeks. Draco shook his head.

"Nothing," He replied, "you?"

"I'm not sure, ever heard of deep magic?"

"Vaguely,"

"Well…" I trailed off hearing Madam Pince 'Shush' us, "Let's go outside" 

"But Potter and Weasley-" He began.

"Have gone home," I finished, "don't worry" He nodded and followed me outside. We sat by the lake and I began explaining how deep magic was connected to the quantum potions.

"Oh, by the way," I said a couple of hours later, "Did you hear about Pomfrey?"

"No," Draco replied, looking up from the piece of parchment that he was writing notes on.

"Well you know she disappeared, to visit her sick sister _supposedly_?" 

"Yeah, and Madam Kentin joined?"

"Yeah well, she was working for you-know-who, and he killed her."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope"

"But how did you find out?"…


End file.
